DVD reviews

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Changeling

4/7
Dir Clint Eastwood US (PG15)
With his director’s hat on, Clint Eastwood doesn’t tend to be the cheeriest of souls, even if it does lead to piles of Oscars – multiple Academy-award winner Mystic River is about child abuse, and Hilary Swank’s second Best Actress Oscar was for a heart-breaking turn in Million Dollar Baby. Consider yourself warned – Changeling is astwood’s darkest work to date.

Angelina Jolie is Christine Collins, a single mother who returns home from work one day to find that her son, Walter, is missing. She is frantic, but this turns to elation when, months later, the Los Angeles police claim to have found him. Yet, Christine is plunged into even deeper despair when the returned boy turns out not to be her son at all. Not only that, but the police won’t hear of it, and they insist she take him home or she must surely be mad.

Based on a true story, Changeling is an enthrallingly gloomy tale of lives ruined by police corruption. But, so concerned is it with all the depressing details, the film loses pace about half way through, locking up our lead in a mental institution for longer than necessary (Jolie carries the whole thing, so when she’s out of action, the momentum starts to flag). It’s hardly fair on the viewer, sufficiently gripped to need an ending, but growing increasingly restless with each surplus scene. Still, we’re rewarded with an ending happier than what happened in real life – maybe even Eastwood needed a little light relief.
Laura Chubb
Dhs85 at Virgin Megastore